Let There Be Light: Westchester Entrepreneur's Online Business Burns Bright

Larchmont resident Carine Le Garrec is the founder of The Fairy Lights Factory.Photo Credit: SubmittedLights from The Fairy Lights Factory.Photo Credit: SubmittedYou can be your own designer with The Fairy Lights Factory.Photo Credit: Submitted

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The Larchmont resident, who's also a flight attendant for a major airline, is the founder of
The Fairy Lights Factory
, vibrant mix-and-match lights that hang on strings and can go anywhere.

Le Garrec first saw them years ago on a layover in Thailand in 1998.

She discovered them a second time in a small shop in Paris in 2010 while decorating a pied-à-terre. That's when she bought them and fell in love.

"They're so colorful and fun," she said.

"And add a lot of warmth and happiness to a space."

Years later, she wanted to buy more but she was living in Dubai and couldn't find them anywhere. So, she started her own business.

The Fairy Lights Factory officially launched in April 2012 selling online only. When Le Garrec, now a mom of three, moved to Westchester in 2014, she continued to grow the business.

She recently, in fact, showcased the lights at the Holiday Bazaar in Bryant Park for the second year in a row, which helped bring more awareness to the brand. She continues to sell online as well as via word of mouth and at pop up stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

National distribution is her next big goal.

"I already have a few good offers from big brands who want the Fairy Lights Factory in their assortment," she said.

What makes the lights different from others on the market is that they are versatile and can be used in many different ways, she said: "Put them around a mirror, in an indoor plant or tree, in a vase; the possibilities are endless."

They are ideal for decorating a child's room or playroom, the living room or any other room in the house where you want to add warmth and happiness, she said. "They even look great when they are not lit as an added room feature."

An added bonus: Many of her customers tell her that her lights finally get their kid to sleep in his/her own bedroom.

Le Garrec said what's made her successful so far is her passion, hard work, consistency and confidence.

"My customers have also played a big role to get me to where I am right now, through their open-mindedness and enthusiasm," she said.

For now, purples and turquoise shades are the biggest sellers, but gold, silver and black have also done well. For 2918, Le Garrec will be adding new colors.